Free Cautious Lover by Stephanie James

unreliability. Jess was the kind of man you could count on when the chips were down. Elly knew that with a deep-seated instinct.
    The potluck on Wednesday was a casual meeting of neighbors and friends that Elly fully expected to enjoy. A month ago a similar party had been held at the house of a local artisan who lived fairly close to Elly . Tonight, however, a different couple had opened their home, and this time Elly had been obliged to drive several miles to the farmsite . Ann Palmer and her husband, Jim, had recently moved to Oregon from California and were intent on pursuing a back-to-the-land life-style. It remained to be seen whether they would be successful in making the farm produce, but in the meantime they were thoroughly enjoying their new life.
     
    " Elly ! There you are. I was wondering where you were." Ann Palmer approached to take the lentil casserole as her guest walked in the door. "Next month we all expect Jess to accompany you to these gala social bashes. He'll have completed his move by then, won't he?"
    "If all goes according to schedule," Elly agreed diplomatically. "And where Jess is concerned, nearly everything does go according to schedule." She glanced around the room full of casually dressed craftsmen, artists, small-time farmers and boutique proprietors and wondered whether Jess knew what he would be getting into socially. Probably. He always seemed to know what he was doing.
    Half an hour later Elly was in the middle of an intense discussion concerning the merits of growing one's own sprouts when the roomful of people underwent that strange phenomena of going quiet all at once. Instinctively Elly glanced toward the door, and quite suddenly she knew what Jess had meant when he had tried to explain the Carringtons ' impact on a crowd.
    Damon Carrington stood in the doorway, smiling in secret amusement as everyone glanced at the tall figure. He was dressed all in black and a lock of blond hair curled rakishly over one brow. His green eyes moved over the curious faces with no sign of self-consciousness, just a hint of condescension. He was not alone. At his side was Sarah Mitchell, looking happier than Elly had seen her since Mark had left.
    Elly watched her friend in dismay, but she knew immediately there would be no point trying to warn her about Damon. The Carrington charm was clearly at work and highly effective. Little Compass Rose had apparently been left with a sitter for the evening. Elly wondered if the child had been wailing when her mother left with the strange man.
    The hum of activity started up again, and Elly excused herself to get some more salad from the long table that had been set up against one wall. As far as she was concerned, her pleasure in the friendly evening had just evaporated. Damon Carrington was still around and that, she knew in her bones, meant trouble.
    "Hi, Elly . You met Damon the other day, remember?" Sarah's voice was bubbling with enthusiasm. "I ran into him yesterday again when I went out to Jess's inn to make some more sketches. Wasn't that a coincidence? Damon is very fond of Victorian architecture, aren't you Damon?"
    "Fascinated." Damon's brilliant green eyes swept over Elly . She wanted to cringe from that gaze, and found she had to make an effort to act nonchalantly. "I understand you have a very interesting place yourself, Elly ."
    "Nothing spectacular," she assured him quickly. "Just an old, updated beach cottage, actually."
    "I'd like to see it sometime," he murmured.
    "I'm afraid I really don't..."
    Before Elly could finish her horrified excuse, Sarah was interrupting cheerfully. "I told Damon he would probably be bored to tears tonight, but he insisted on coming along. Said he wanted to see what life was like in a small beach town."
    "I imagine it's a real change for you, Damon," Elly said coolly.
    "I'm highly adaptable."
    "I'll just bet you are," Elly murmured. She sipped her hot spiced cider and tried to think of a way to escape from the small